Japanese junglist explores lush breakbeat house for Apollo

For many DJs, 130 beats per minute isn't simply a tempo, it's a state of mind. In the last couple of years, though, 130 BPM has become a meeting point for DJs and producers across the dance-music spectrum, perched midway between dubstep and house. And it's not just a DMZ for artists from those genres: More and more junglists are also getting in on the action. Enter Japan's Makoto (Makoto Shimizu), a soulful drum-and-bass producer and long-time affiliate of LTJ Bukem's Good Looking Records. Like many of his breakbeat brethren, Makoto has been flirting with deep house and dubstep for the past couple of years. Now, on a new EP for Apollo, he turns in three tracks exploring 130 BPM at its most lush.

"Another Generation" wraps luminous synths around the kind of tough, shuffling snares that Scuba's been turning out lately; the jazzy "Summer Nights" grafts the dreamy affect of atmospheric drum and bass onto the swinging funk of West London broken beat to yield a tune as juicy as an heirloom tomato. The EP's secret highlight, "Skyline," is a dizzy swirl of sub bass and arpeggios that feels like dancing on air. The beatless "73," meanwhile, is a DJ tool in the form of a starlit lullaby.

To celebrate the release, which is out this week, Makoto is giving SPIN readers his "130 BPM Bass Mix," an exhilarating hour-long session exploring the sweeter, sunnier side of his new favorite tempo. Including tunes from Trevino, Ramadanman/Pearson Sound, Recloose, and Addison Groove, it's just the thing the remaining days of summer. Sports car and winding coastal highway are optional, but highly recommended. Download it here, and check out the 1980s-inspired video for "Another Generation" below.